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Category: Exam and Study Tips



Working on an Essay Exam

Last-minute tips for how to excel on law school essay exams

November 10, 2022

Knowing how to take a law school exam can be just as important as knowing the material that will be tested. Here are some last-minute study tips for essay exams in law school. Our law school expert, Heather Buck from JD Advising,

Making an Outline

5 tips to get you started on writing law school outlines

October 06, 2022

One of the most important tools for studying for exams in law school is the outline. Our law school expert, Heather Buck from JD Advising, provided strategies for outlining and a step-by-step process for creating your outline in a recent Virtual Office Hours session with the

Studying

Get the grades, avoid the burnout

September 30, 2021

Too much studying can cause burnout. By adopting small changes in study habits, you can develop the skills you need to get the grades without the burnout.

Time Management Guide for Law Students

Time Management Guide for Law Students

June 30, 2021

Law students are not typically taught time management and productivity skills.  Even students that are skilled in these areas in classroom settings do not yet have the time management skills required for legal practice.  Falling short in this area impacts their ability to be effective not only in law school, but in

IRAC

Legal reasoning? It's all about IRAC

March 09, 2021

As beginning law students soon learn, what we call “legal reasoning” can be expressed by the formula IRAC. It stands for Issue, Rule, Application, and Conclusion. It is the format used by lawyers in preparing legal memoranda. And the structure that most judges use in drafting judicial opinions. It’s also the

Multiple Choice Tests

Do you want to be successful on your multiple-choice law examinations?

March 09, 2021

You can, and will, be successful on your multiple-choice law examinations by always choosing the best answer that is: Most responsive to the call of the question;A correct statement of applicable law; and (not “or”)Best supported by the facts presented. Contextually, this post

Online Test

How to plan for take-home exams

March 30, 2020

Whether you are excited by the idea of take-home essay exams or frightened by it, you may have some questions about the best way to prepare. I have compiled a list of tips and suggestions that apply generally to take-home exams. These tips should not take the place

Working at Home

Train your brain to be productive at home

March 18, 2020

In normal times, who doesn’t love the idea of telecommuting? The prospect of WFHing in pants with an elastic waistband alongside what used to be an unlimited supply of snacks while the laundry hums productively in the background—on someone else’s dime—is everyone’s dream. Or

Test Stress

Test stress: This law school exam season, take care of yourself

December 10, 2018

In a recent article for The American Lawyer, Joanna Litt recounted the suicide of her husband. She attributed his death to the stresses of his law practice and of being a partner in big law. I saw this article posted at first by a single former

Study Time

Some tips on studying for and taking 1L exams

November 14, 2018

Your first final exams are coming up, 1Ls! It's time to mind your minutes, study the past, start formulating answers, and pay attention to your professors – and get that first good grade.

Final Exams

3 last-minute keys for acing your law school exams

November 13, 2018

You’re probably a mere three weeks from your law school exams. So everything you’re reading and doing should be helping you ace your law school examinations. Let me help. Below are three things you can do to ensure you ace your law school exams:

Library

Shhh! What not to do in the law library

November 12, 2018

To avoid wreaking havoc on your classmates in the law library and to assist in providing a platform for venting in the comment section below, I have tallied a few of the more egregious instances of misconduct.

Exams

1L exams have you nervous? You are not alone

October 23, 2018

If you are like I was when I was a 1L, the scariest thoughts involve the first set of exams. The unknown questions, the time crunch, especially imagining the wide range of essay questions your professors could ask you and how exactly to tackle them, is enough to give you nightmares.

Internet Research

How to use government websites to perform free legal and legislative research

March 19, 2018

The phrases “legal research” or “legislative research” often conjure up images of signing into an online subscription resource to find everything one might need; however, using subscription resources is not a viable option for all lawyers in all situations.  Luckily, several websites provide free and reliable legal and legislative

Visualizing

Add reverse outlining to your writing toolbox

September 05, 2017

You probably know that outlining is an important part of the writing process. An outline helps you organize your writing and identify gaps in your analysis. The more complex the material you are writing about, the more important your organization is—and legal analysis is often complex. Most writers

Danger

How to study your way to law school survival

July 07, 2017

Getting into law school is thrilling. You’ve been preparing for this moment a long time. After the giddiness wears off, you may start to feel a bit apprehensive. That’s because law school is an extremely competitive environment. It’s truly a jungle where the law of the land includes survival of

The art of legal writing: How to find your voice

March 01, 2016

In most law school seminars, the instruction of legal writing usually gets broken down into technical details. However, legal writing—just like every other form of writing—is more art than science. You must learn how to tell a story, appeal to an audience, and—after you’ve gotten the mechanics of analysis down—trust your instincts.

How to Choose Your Courses Wisely

November 01, 2014

Wise choices of law school courses can optimize grades and increase preparation for the bar exam and future legal practice.

Study Tips for Law Students

Determining Your Study Priorities and Strategies for Exam Preparation

March 01, 2014

The semester’s halfway point is fast approaching. Students need to take stock now and begin serious exam preparation. First, analyze three aspects of your academics to gather information for planning your studies. Then, determine the study priorities for each course and choose appropriate study strategies to accomplish those

Outlines and Graphic Organizers: Making Sense of a Course

January 01, 2014

Many law students never outlined courses when they were undergraduates because tests were frequent and noncumulative so cramming from class notes worked well. Infrequent law school-style exams make cramming from class notes and briefs unwise. First, one exam covering 15 weeks of material translates to